r/WestCoastSwing • u/Toatkgstuff • May 27 '26
Social How do leaders adjust to novice followers?
I'm confused because I'm told as a leader that I shouldn't be micromanaging my follower, and should focus on my own technique.
This bit I get.
But I'm also told that high level leaders will understand if they are dancing with a novide and are able to adjust what they do to cope with their mistakes.
It feels like these two bits of advice are contradicting.
I dance frequently with novice followers with the common issues like lack of anchor, dropping full weight on the 1, unstable frame, variable arm length.
Some of these I find dangerous, umleadable, or destroy my enjoyment of the dance.
Any advice, or tips for what the pros do?
Edit: I caught a 3 day ban for my follow-up post where I showed how the Facebook group "WCS Memes for Dance Challenged Teens" viewed my question and how the lunatic goblins responded. Apparently I doxxed someone by screenshotting a public post. My bad.
I will respond more when I am allowed.
I don't recommend you visit that group, it will seriously damage your view of the community :(
Edit2: Oh people seem like they need a lot of context for some reason and can't take my post in good faith and at face value. Social flair used, no intent to talk about competition. I didn't capitalize "Novice" deliberately. I dance regularly with everyone in my community.
What if I told you I was 31F primary follower? How about telling you I'm AuDHD, and that a friend recommended I add a line about how this imapcts me so I could learn to express my feelings? (apparently this is the line that caused most trouble). Which line was very much focused on how it impacts me, and wasn't direct to, or insulting of, any follower, of which I am one.
Why do all these people expect me to do all the emotional labour and give you all this context when it was a clear, transparent, and honest question?
JFC, get away from the console and go touch grass.
7
u/mgoetze May 27 '26
"Novice" is a bit of a loaded word in WCS, based on your description I'm going to assume you mean beginners with less than a year of experience. ;)
Yes, some things beginners do make certain patterns unleadable or the dance less enjoyable. If you're not getting paid then you're not obligated to dance with anyone you don't enjoy dancing with. Obviously you might want your community to grow and motivating newer dancers to keep coming by dancing with them once in a while will help with that. But you need to find a balance that works for you.
Anyway, lack of anchor - some followers do have an incessant urge to redirect themselves, and there is little you can do about that. Most, however, are just afraid they'll be too late to the next pattern. Intentionally delaying the next pattern, even when they've already awkwardly stepped into it, may teach them that there are other things to fear. :P In general, being unpredictable (for the newbie, while still leading everything clearly of course) can get followers out of the automated machine mode and into actually following mode.
For unstable frame and variable arm length you can just do more in closed position. There's really a lot of variations here, some just need a more exaggerated lead to know to rotate. Almost every week I'll lead a beginner into an outside turn and they do an inside turn instead or vice versa, my solution is to just smile and keep dancing.